Tag Archives: liqueur

Shanghai-Inspired Liqueurs

Made by the couple who own Cranston’s popular Cha Bai ramen house, the Cheongsam Tea Liqueurs had us at hello.

oolong2The two versions – currently produced in China but available only in Rhode Island – are hand-crafted with natural extractions of exotic whole leaf teas. They’re captivating and nuanced. And they’re really delicious.

Named after the traditional “Cheongsam” dress that was created in Shanghai in the 1920s, the liqueurs are meant to evoke the mystery and elegance of that time and place.

The Jade Oolong, made from jade green Ti-Kuan Yin oolong tea, has delicate notes of honey and orchid, and tastes like a grown up, elegant version of the hot tea Chinese restaurants in America have been serving for decades.

The Smokey Mist’s proprietary blend of black teas produces a complex though delicate slightly-sweet liqueur that is redolent of smoked pine needles, plums and apricots.

Both are excellent additions to a well-stocked home bar given their affinity with most spirits: they play well with vodka, rum and tequila, as well as with sparkling wine or soda water. We also recommend serving them just as they are, at home, after a dinner from your favorite Asian take-out.

For our cocktails, our drinks guru Lily Rogers chose to pair the Cheongsam liqueurs with gin in a simple yet versatile recipe. The combination of the herbaceous Sons of Liberty True Born gin with the slightly sweet tea liqueur and tart & minty lemon lends these Shanghai-inspired cocktails the feel of a sultry summer evening.

The two drinks below are identical, save for the liqueurs. The simple base allows these magical liqueurs to take center stage.

oolong1Shanghai, RI

10 lemon balm leaves
1.5oz True Born Gin
1oz Cheongsam Jade Oolong liqueur
1oz simple syrup
.75oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Lemon balm leaf for garnish

Tear the 10 lemon balm leaves and add them to a shaker. Add liquid ingredients, fill with ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Smack the remaining whole lemon balm leaf between palms to release oils and float on top of drink.

Shanghai Summer

10 lemon balm leaves
1.5oz True Born Gin
1oz Cheongsam Smokey Mist liqueur
1oz simple syrup
.75oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Lemon balm leaf for garnish

Tear the 10 lemon balm leaves and add them to a shaker. Add liquid ingredients, fill with ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupe. Smack the remaining whole lemon balm leaf between palms to release oils and float on top of drink.

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Drink Your Chocolate

Skip the chewable chocolate this Valentine’s Day and give your sweetie the sippable sort. We’re crushing on a few bottles made with real chocolate and genuine skill, those that are good enough to be enjoyed year-round.

Meletti Cioccolato
Thick, dark, creamy, this Italian liqueur is pure pourable decadence. It’s made in Italy with milk and Dutch chocolate, sugar and alcohol, and is intensely rich and smooth with a balanced sweetness. We’re crazy for the Cioccolato any way it’s served: cold & neat (think adult pudding pop), warmed, over ice cream, or as a mixer in any number of cocktails.
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Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
This full-flavored dark beer made with chocolate malt and real chocolate is luxurious without being overtly sweet. It’s certainly a satisfying treat on its own, but for something special, consider combining it in a frosty mug with vanilla ice cream and bourbon for the ultimate grown-up float.
vday_stout

 

Nickle Creek Decadence
A Rhody original, from Foster! This beautiful bottle, reminiscent of Port, has warm flavors of cherry and plum that make way for a dark, bittersweet chocolate finish. It’s a delicious way to end a romantic dinner.
vday_decadence

Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Don’t Let Your After-Dinner Drinks Be An Afterthought

An easy and impressive way to elevate any meal – especially Thanksgiving Dinner – is to offer your guests an after-dinner drink, served alongside – or in lieu of – dessert. And all that’s required for this elegant and delicious end-to-a-meal is a thoughtful bottle choice (we can help with that), and clean glassware. Baking not required.

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Though there are many mixed drinks that are popular after dinner (ie. Irish Coffee), we’re focusing on one-bottle postprandial sippers: those that you merely need open and pour to enjoy. Here are the 4 styles we like to serve during Thanksgiving season.

1. Sweet Dessert Wine ranging from fruit-sweet (Sauternes, Moscato D’Asti) to sugar and nut-sweet (Madeira, Port). One small glass does a body good either by itself or paired with pungent cheese.

2. Amari bitter (and sometimes sweet) liqueurs originally produced to calm upset bellies. despite — or perhaps in light of — their at-times super-bracing bitterness, an increasing number of folks are enjoying Amari after dinner – stomachache or not.

3. Liqueurs / Cordials traditional european liqueurs made with flavors of almonds, coffee and mint (just to name a few) are now being produced in small batches by American artisans. these new bottles are an outstanding treat.

4. Bubbles popping a bottle of sweet (sec) or semi-sweet (demi-sec) sparkling wine is an elegant and festive way to put a celebratory cap on a merry holiday meal.

Call or visit the store for help in finding the perfect bottle to end your feast.

Cheers!

 

 

3 Delicious Amari for Thanksgiving

 

Since Thanksgiving is a day that our stomachs get a full workout, I wanted to share some of my favorite Amari from our selection here at Bottles. Amaro is a digestif; an herbal liqueur invented by doctors, chemists, pharmacists, laymen hundreds of years ago to serve one purpose – settle the stomach.

These pragmatic folks chose to preserve medicinal herbs in a tincture of alcohol because, after all, a spoon full of sugar does help the medicine go down. And since a bit of sugar is usually added to balanced the bitter herb flavors, Amari can be enjoyed on the rocks after a meal, or used in place of sweet vermouth in Manhattans. Here are a few of my favorite Amari to sample after a feast: Amaro Montenegro, Cardamaro, and Bigallet China-China.

You may notice that I left Fernet Branca, a popular amaro off this list. Fernet is a wonderfully bitter and bracing amari but after all that pumpkin pie, I prefer a more mellow spirit to enjoy next to the fire before I fall into a glorious food coma nap.

Amaro Montenegro 

Oranges and coriander meld together in a wonderfully warm way that intersects perfectly with a bitter, vegetal undertone. Rosewater and cherry are also present in this delightfully smooth and complex Amari.

Cardamaro 

Cardamaro is an Amari that is breaking all the rules. Instead of a spirit base, winemaker Gionvanni Bosca infuses Moscato wine with blessed thistle and ages the wine in oak for six months. This Amari is a great introduction because it has more of a sweet note rather than a bitter, herbal tone. Don’t be mislead, though, this is not a super sweet spirit. Ginger and artichoke are kicking around in this bottle to help right your senses.

Bigallet China-China 

What can I say? A perfect balance of sweet and sour, this Amari uses both sweet and bitter orange peels to form a holy union of citrus in your glass. Dark and rich with the addition of caramel, the warmth radiating from this Amari is life changing. My new favorite winter accessory! Move over electric blanket, you’ve been replaced.

Cheers & Happy Thanksgiving!

– Joanna
Bottles Fine Wine
www.bottlesfinewine.com